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The Morbidly Obese Mother from What's Eating Gilbert Grape Has Lost 244 Pounds

By Dustin Rowles | Miscellaneous | August 10, 2012 |

By Dustin Rowles | Miscellaneous | August 10, 2012 |


The two most surprising things about this development are that Darlene Cates — Bonnie Grape from What’s Eating Gilbert Grape — is suddenly 64 years old and 2) that she lived to be 64. She’s lost 244 pounds (good for her!), but she still weighs 321 pounds, although she’s hoping to shed another 100 pounds after an 11-month stay in the hospital triggered by a near-death experience. In fact, she hopes to return to acting at some point.

It’d take the perfect role, but she was outstanding in Gilbert Grape, the movie that launched Leonardo DiCaprio’s feature film career (and elicited his first Oscar nom). Here she is talking about her weight loss.

Speaking of Gilbert Grape, and Now-Famous People You Didn’t Know Were in Movies You’ve Seen, who remembers John C. Reilly from the movie?

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